MBC kicks off Charity Water Campaign

Ten days ago I ran the New York Marathon. Here were my thoughts just a short 48 hours before the race. We have now officially kicked off our campaign with Charity Water. Take the time to check us out by going to www.charitywater.org and putting in my name, Mark Schwietz. I hope you will support us in our goal to build some wells for those 1 billion people on our planet who do not have clean, safe drinking water.

Water is so much a part of our lives, we don’t even think twice about refilling a bottle or glass. Taking an extra 10 minutes in the shower. In Arizona thousands of gallons of water evaporate daily from our swimming pools and canals. The amount of water used daily by an average family of four in the U.S. has been estimated to be nearly 400 gallons. Drinking, cleaning, food preparation, watering the lawn, flushing, etc. are but a handful of the ways we use water.

In forty-eight hours I toe the line with some 45,000 men and women from across this amazing planet of ours. What line you ask? The starting line of the NYC Marathon. We start in Staten Island, run through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Harlem and finish in Manhattan. 26.2 miles and some 2-3 million New Yorkers and friends from all points on the map will be cheering us on. There will be water stations along the way, nearly every mile. Hundreds of thousands of cups of water will be consumed, poured out over our heads and bodies. HYDRATE is a mantra in the runners’ almanac.

But for nearly 1 billion people worldwide, their day will not be like that. They will schlep a jerry can (5 gallon plastic jug) nearly the distance of a marathon to bring water to their families. Water filled with parasites and disease. Dis-ease. That is what a human being feels at their core when some of their most basic needs are not being met.

There are numerous ways to address the problem and it starts with men and women like you. One-way is to support an organization such as Charity: Water [www.charitywater.org] that is building wells in villages throughout the world to provide clean, safe water. A well costs about $5000 and can provide water for 250 people for 20 years. Not everyone has $5000 or more burning a hole in their pockets, but you can still give. $20 will give one person water for 20 years. Get 249 of your friends to give twenty bucks and you just built a well. And so it goes.

“Don’t just do something, sit there” is an old wise saying. Collectively we can change the world. We can stop this horrific crisis where thousands die daily because they do not have water to drink and/or the water they do drink is contaminated. Is this a cause you can get behind, or is something else pulling at your heart? I invite you to spend the time it takes me to run a marathon (3:45)(I finished in 4:09) and find something you can support.

I could use your support in building a well. This is a cause we at MBC chose to get behind. Every penny of profit from our emergency preparedness products will go to Charity: Water. All donations you make will help the thousands of us behind this cause make our dream of providing clean, safe drinking water for those who do not have it. Consider giving a buck a mile or more. Thanks for your generous support.